Leadership mantra: Let your people grow

And the journey begins…

My journey as a Technology manager started in November 2022. In this article, I want to share my insights that might help you if you are also in this new role or if you have to lead other people.

You can learn from mistakes…

It is a very popular expression you can find in many coaching and professional books “Mistakes are good. Do not be afraid to make mistakes.”. Sounds simple and easy to apply but in fact people are scared of mistakes for many reasons. Some — because of a toxic environment, others — because of perfectionism, etc.

If you are as lucky as me and work in a great welcoming environment, where your colleagues are happy to help you learn from your mistakes and do not play “blaming games”, you will learn fast and easily.

What if your situation is different? If you are open to discussing your challenges with strangers, I would suggest considering a coaching session. In case when coach sessions fall outside your budget, you might want to explore self-therapy. I can recommend a helpful book: Karen Horney’s ‘Self-Analysis’. This book offers insights on self-analysis, changing your mindset, and stabilizing your emotions. While it is not a miracle solution, it can certainly provide you with a deeper understanding of your own consciousness.

Build a team, not a family…

I have come across this situation a couple of times and heard it more than once: ‘Oh, but we are such a nice team, like a family.’ What is the issue, you may ask? It does sound nice when team members feel safe and comfortable with each other, sharing personal matters and even secrets. I personally always aim to have a supportive and warm environment. However, this should not overshadow the fact that you are in professional relationships, and your professional bonds must be stronger than any other emotions. If you have mutual respect and can rely on one another in your professional fields, everything else — is just a matter of your soft skills and communication abilities.

After all, you are working together with the common goal of building, delivering, and creating something special and exceptional, while also learning and growing. Do not let personal judgments or sympathies hide your potential issues within your team, or on the flip side, diminish someone’s professional skills based on personal preferences. While you can certainly be friends with your team members, always remember that you are also colleagues. While families might have disagreements followed by ‘I’m sorry’ moments and continue on, for a team, such conflicts can lead to disasters like missed deadlines or work sabotage.

You can’t completely turn off your emotions, but you can control and learn from them. Learn to transform your emotions for personal growth. It is natural to have disagreements, feel annoyed, or even experience anger, but mastering how to communicate your frustrations to others is key.

Feedback is crucial…

Once again, a very popular concept, but one that is widely misused.

What is the purpose of giving feedback? Some might say, “Because HR requires me to do it,” while others respond with, “Oh, because I need it for my performance review.” However, neither of these reasons is entirely accurate. Feedback is important because we are all human beings. We tend to make assumptions, focus on ourselves, or overthink situations. To avoid forming false assumptions about our skills or work, it is always beneficial to gather feedback from others. Feedback isn’t always about personal growth; it is crucial to understand the team’s morale, their perception of the work environment, and so on.

The most challenging aspect lies in gathering feedback for improvement. In this regard, leading by example can be effective. Continuously provide various types of feedback to your team members, colleagues, etc. Find the most suitable form of feedback for each team member — whether it is a direct message, a Google form, a company-provided application, or a casual chat — your choice.

There are certain techniques you should learn before giving feedback. For instance, feedback should always aim to be helpful; criticizing a person is never a productive approach. Also, do not provide feedback when you are feeling irritated — wait until your emotions have settled. Companies usually offer feedback workshops, but if that is not the case for you, there are many books available that can provide valuable insights. I liked how the feedback approach was used in the book “No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention” by Reed Hastings & Erin Meyer

Trust your people….

One of my strongest beliefs is that in order to build a great team, you need to trust your people. Give them the opportunity to learn, make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and find their own passion in the work they do. You will be surprised by how many amazing things your team members can accomplish when they are allowed to be creative, manage their own time, and find ways to solve their tasks in their own, perhaps even unique, manner.

But what about deadlines? What if there is no time for a creative approach, and you just need to get things done? Well, again, it is about trust. Explain to your team that while you would love to have time for a proper creative solution and extensive planning, it is currently essential to deliver something less exciting but truly important for the company’s success. After all, we are not only working for our own pleasure; there is a company goal that we are all a part of, contributing to a larger ‘organism,’ even if it is a small one. So, be transparent, explain the goals and needs, and empower your team to take action.

If they encounter failure, have a conversation with them, and work together to find ways to improve. Accompany them on their journey, but don’t stand on their path.

I believe I can continue to share the insights I have already learned, and I am confident that more will come soon. What is mentioned above has been incredibly beneficial for me, and self-improvement is an ongoing journey. I hope you will find the management journey as exciting as I do, and I trust that my brief article will provide you with some inspiration along your path.